Casting ingate arrangement



E. Q. SYLVESTER CASTING INGATE ARRANGEMENT June 1, 1965 Filed Sept. 26, 1962 United States Patent i 3,186,039 CASTING INGATE ARRANGEMENT Edmund Q. Sylvester, Shaker Heights, Ohio Amsted Research Laboratory, P.0. Box 567, 340 County Line Road, Bensenville, Ill.)

Filed Sept. 26, 1962, Ser. no. 226,283 6 Claims. (Cl. 22-69) resorted to as a matter of expediency in order to increase production rates. For example, in the art of pressure casting, the pressure pouring ladles usually have sul'ficient capacity to pour a number of successive molds without having to be r'e-filled. In order to take advantage of this fact and to eliminate the non-productive time involved in moving either the ladle or mold between each pouring cycle, gating arrangements have been devised enabling one ladle assembly to simultaneously fill two or more individual mold casting cavities.

Such gating arrangements, however, have not been entirely satisfactory especially in one respect. That is, after solidification the individual castings, poured with such gating arrangements, cannot be separated from each other because the inter-connecting runners feeding each mold cavity have also solidified causing each casting to be secured to the others; Consequently, further operations, such as burning or grinding, are necessary in order to separate all of the castings and prepare them for whatever operations are to follow.

The solidification of runners and the additional subsequent separating operations to a great degree offset the benefits otherwise obtainable with multiple casting operations. Further, the metal solidified in the runners becomes scrap and as such reduces the yield obtainable from one charging of the ladle.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a novel gating arrangement for simultaneously casting a plurality of metal articles in a manner causing each of said cast articles, upon solidification, to be separate from the others.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel gating arrangement, for simultaneously casting a plurality of metal articles, which'prevents the formation of solidified runners.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent when reference is made to the following written description and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partially in cross-section, of a gating arrangement constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 22 of FIG- URE l and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view ofthe arrangement as shown in FIGURE 1.

Certain details are omitted from one or more figures for purposes of clarity.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings, FIG- URES l and 2 illustrate a mold assemblylil comprised of left and right mold sections 12 and 14 and left and right mold flask sections 16 and iii secured to a gating assembly 20.

Flanges 22 and 24, secured to the mold flask sections 16 and 18 by means of a plurality of screws '26, which for purposes of clarity are also shown in section in FIGURE 2, have secured thereto, as by welding, a plu- 3,185,639 Fat-enticed June 1,- 1965 rality of downwardly depending bolts 28 which are slidably received through flanges 30 and 32 of gate body 34/ Each of the bolts 23 is preferably provided with a cooperating nut 36 and compression spring 38 for urg= ing the mold assembly 10 and ingate assembly 12 toward each other.

Gate body 34 is proivded with a generally invertedtruncated pyramidal recess 40 for the reception therein of a mating refractory flow dividing insert 42 which is provided with an inlet orifice 44 at its lower end and outlet orifices 46 and 48 at its upper end (also see FIGURE 3).

A refractory cut-off slide 50, provided with orifices 52 and 54 which at times complete communication between mold cavities 56, 58 and outlet orifices 46, 48, respectively, is slidably retained between mold as'sem biy it and gate body 34. In order to prevent possible binding of the cut-off slide 50, spacer rails or blocks 60 and 62 are provided on opposite sides thereof. Additional shim material, not shown, may of course be employed. Spacer rails 60 and 62 may be formed so as to also insure proper lateral location of slide 50 with respect to the outlet orifices 46, 48 and branch conduits 64, 66. A recess 63 formed in the lower portion of gate body 34 is adapted to receive therein, in mating relationship, a pouring tube '70 of a suitable pressure pouring ladle assembly 72.

As was previously stated, the mold assembly 10 is preferably comprised of abutting mold sections 12 and 14, forming a parting line 74, which are capable of being moved away from each other thereby affording ready access to solidified castings within cavities 56 and 5s.

In order to permit relative movement between the mold sections 12, 14 and gating assembly 20, slots 76 and 78 are formed in each of the flange members 22 and 24. Accordingly, after screws 26 are loosened, each of the mold sections and cooperating mold flask sections can be moved outwardly to positions illustrated generally at 16' and 1'8.

The operation of the invention, as disclosed, is briefly as follows. The mold assembly 10, in its closed position, and gating assembly 20 are positioned atop pouring tube 76 and slide 50 is moved until orifices 5'2 and 54 complete communication between cavities 56, 5 8 and branch conduits 64, 66, respectively.

Ladle 72 is then pressurized causing the molten metal contained therein to flow upwardly through tube 7% branch conduits 64, 66, orifices 52, 54 and into mold cavities 56, 58. The pouring of molten metal continues until the respective mold cavities are filled at which time slide 56 is again moved to a position .whereat the previously established communication through orifices 52 and 54 is terminated. The pressure within ladle '72 is then reduced thereby allowing the molten metal within branch conduits 64 and 66 to drain back into ladle 72. 1

The entire mold and gate assembly may then be removed from the pouring tube to asuitable location whereatsolidification of the cast metal can occur. After a sufficient length of time, screws 26 may be loosened and mold sections 12 and 14 opened so as to remove the solidified cast articles. 7 a

From the above it should be apparent that the gating arrangement disclosed provides means whereby a plunodifications and embodiments of the invention are posible within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A pressure casting arrangement, comprising a mold assembly, a plurality of independent mold cavities formed Within said mold assembly, an ingate assembly connected to said mold assembly, said ingate assembly comprising a Jody, a cavity formed within said body, a refractory insert received within said cavity and having formed there- :hrough a plurality of branch conduits each having a dis- :harge orifice at one end and terminating at their other :nds in a common single inlet orifice, a recess formed within said body generally about said inlet orifice for the reception of a ladle pouring tube, a cut-ofi slide member slidably received between said body and mold assembly, and a plurality of passages formed through said slide member and located so as to simultaneously complete communication between said discharge orifices and said mold cavities respectively, said slide member being effective to at times terminate said communication whenever said slide member is moved to a position whereat said passages are moved out of alignment with said discharge orifices of said conduit portions.

2. A pressure casting arrangement, comprising a mold assembly, a plurality of independent mold cavities formed within said mold assembly, an ingate assembly connected to said mold assembly, said ingate assembly comprising a body, a plurality of branch conduits formed through said body each having a discharge orifice at one end and terminating at their other ends in a common single inlet orifice, a recess formed within said body generally about said inlet orifice for the reception of a ladle pouring tube, a cut-off slide member slidably received between said body and mold assembly, and a plurality of passages formed through said slide member and located so as to simultaneously complete communication between said discharge orifices and said mold cavities, said slide member being effective to at times terminate said communication whenever said slide member is moved to a position whereat said passages are moved out of alignment with said discharge orifices of said conduit portions.

3. An arrangement for simultaneously filling a plurality of individual cavities formed within a mold, comprising a gate body connected to said mold, conduit means formed through said gate body and having a common single inlet orifice and a plurality of discharge orifices, a movable slide member slidably received between said mold and said gate body, and a plurality of passages formed through said slide member and arranged so as to simultaneously complete communication between each of the respective discharge orifices and said cavities, said slide member also being effective to terminate communication between said discharge orifices and said cavities whenever said slide member is moved to a position whereat said passages are completely out of alignment with said discharge orifices.

4. An arrangement for simultaneously filling a plurality of individual cavities formed within a mold, comprising a gate body connected to said mold, a cavity formed within said body, a refractory insert received within said cavity and having formed therethrough conduit means having a single common inlet orifice and a plurality of discharge orifices, a movable slide member slidably received between said mold and said gate body, and a plurality of passages formed through said slide member and arranged so as to simultaneously complete communication between each of the respective discharge orifices and said cavities, said slide member also being effective to terminate communication between said discharge orifices and said cavities whenever said slide member is moved to a position whereat said passages are completely out of alignment with said discharge orifices.

5. An arrangement for simultaneously casting a plurality of articles comprising a mold assembly, said mold assembly being comprised of a plurality of mold sections each of which is received within an outer mold flask, a plurality of casting cavities each partly formed Within each of said mold sections and having an open lower end; a gate assembly secured to said mold assembly, said gate assembly being comprised of a body, first flange portions formed on opposite sides of said body, a plurality of branch conduits formed through said body each having a discharge orifice at one end and terminating at their other ends in a common single inlet orifice, a recess formed within said body generally about said inlet orifice for the reception of a ladle pouring tube; second flange portions; a plurality of slots formed through each of said second flange portions; securing means extending through said slots and threadably engaging said mold flasks for securing said second flange portions to said mold flasks and for holding said mold sections in abutting engagement with each other; a plurality of anchoring means securing said second flange portions to said first flange portions; a cutoif slide member slidably received between said gate body and said mold assembly; and a plurality of passages formed through said slide member to at times complete communication between said respective branch conduits and the lower open ends of said mold cavities; said slide also being effective to terminate said communication whenever said slide is positioned so as to place said passages out of alignment with said branch conduits.

6. An apparatus for terminating the communication between a source of molten metal and a plurality of mold cavities having open ends formed within a mold assembly and between said plurality of mold cavities, comprising a pouring tube adapter member connected to said mold assembly, a seat formed on said adapter member connectable to a pouring tube communicating with said source, a plurality of branch conduits formed in said adapter member each terminating at one end in a common inlet orifice formed generally centrally of said seat and terminating at their respective other ends in separate discharge orifices, and cut-off means for terminating flow of molten metal from said source to said cavities, said cut-off means comprising a slide member slidably positioned immediately between said open ends of said cavities and said discharge orifices of said branch conduits.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS MICHAEL V. BRINDISI, Primary Examiner, 

1. A PRESSURE CASTING ARRANGEMENT, COMPRISING A MOLD ASSEMBLY, A PLURALITY OF INDEPENDENT MOLD CAVITIES FORMED WITHIN SAID MOLD ASSEMBLY, AN INGATE ASSEMBLY CONNECTED TO SAID MOLD ASSEMBLY, SAID INGATE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A BODY, A CAVITY FORMED WITHIN SAID BODY, A REFRACTORY INSERT RECEIVED WITHIN SAID CAVITY AND HAVING FORMED THERETHROUGH A PLURALITY OF BRANCH CONDUITS EACH HAVING A DISCHARGE ORIFICE AT ONE END AND TERMINATING AT THEIR OTHER ENDS IN A COMMON SINGLE INLET ORIFICE, A RECESS FORMED WITHIN SAID BODY GENERALLY ABOUT SAID INLET ORIFICE FOR THE RECEPTION OF A LADLE POURING TUBE, A CUT-OFF SLIDE MEMBER SLIDABLY RECEIVED BETWEEN SAID BODY AND MOLD ASSEMBLY, AND A PLURALITY OF PASSAGES FORMED THROUGH SAID SLIDE 